I know so many of my fellow Americans are shaken by the horrific violence we witnessed over the weekend. I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts with you:

Let me start with this: Political violence is never acceptable. We all have a responsibility to forcefully condemn the attack on former President Trump.

I am relieved that the former president is okay, and I’m grateful to the Secret Service and law enforcement who responded and are investigating. I’m also deeply saddened to know that an attendee at the rally was killed. I’m thinking of his family today, and wishing for a swift recovery for those who were injured, including the former president.

As we grapple with these dark events, I’m also mindful that we are still facing an election in less than four months’ time — one whose outcome will have a huge impact on our community, and on every single person in our nation.

All of us — whether candidates like me, or our incredible, passionate supporters — can, and must, make the case for our vision for the future peacefully and clearly, never losing sight of the fact that those who disagree with us are fellow human beings who deserve safety, empathy, and respect. Remembering that fact isn’t just important for avoiding further acts of violence, but it’s also critical for getting anything done.

This will be a competitive election, here in KS-03 and across the country. One that will require a lot of hard work. It’s normal for elections like this to bring out strong emotions. But no one should ever face violence because of what they believe or what candidates they support.

So as we move forward, let’s make sure we do so in a way that reflects the values we hold dear in our democracy.

Thank you,

Sharice